A summer camp for local youth is putting a call out to the community for help.
Now in its second year, the Youth Embracing Today's Youth Centre Summer Program gives 7 to 19-year-olds in the downtown core a safe and supervised place to go all summer long.
Recreational Coach Dylan Berthiaume says about 50 youth come through each day, and as that number continues to grow, funding could become an issue.
Berthiaume says it's all about keeping the youth engaged.
"It's a youth program, we're aimed at kids 7 to 19, but we are trying to focus more on the teenagers in the area. Trying to keep them involved and just kind of teaching them some life skills, but also it's more about just promoting and nurturing healthy lifestyles and smart decision making."
The YETY Summer Program is offered free of charge Monday to Friday at the former Water World facility in downtown Windsor and focuses on fitness, the arts and culinary classes.
Berthiaume says, through a partnership with WEST of Windsor, this year they'll also be offering English as a second language programming to accommodate the many newcomers they serve.
"For a lot of these kids, they're new to the area and new to the country. So interacting with their peers is kind of a challenge. So that's why it's also very exciting that we've partnered with WEST of Windsor this year and they're going to be teaching by-weekly English as a second language for the kids."
(Photo courtesy of www.yetycenter.com)
Berthiaume adds, they're hoping to improve programming this year as well.
"It can be a challenge to keep the kids engaged. Their parents are not really forcing them to come out every day. So we have to keep them engaged, especially the teenagers. So that was one of the problems we ran into last year was keeping the older youth coming out. So hopefully, we're hoping, with some of the changes we've made we can keep the older youth more engaged and more active."
Berthiaume is urging any organization that may be interested in offering support, no matter how big or small, to contact their office at 519-562-4739.
The centre has set up a Go Fund Me page as well with a goal of raising $10,000.
For more information about the summer program head to www.yetycenter.com.